davidc wrote:How has the talk been going down otherwise?
I have now given it three times. The first occasion was at the club, then I did it for the London region of the RPS in September and lastly Bridport the other week. I am booked to do it a number of times during this season, so the topic seems to have an appeal. This includes a 20 minute "taster" version for the Thames Valley region of the RPS Digital Imaging Group at November's members' presentation day.
One of the bits of feedback I occasionally get about my composition talk is that there are not enough pictures in it. In fact it contains 59 images which is probably only 40 or so fewer than I would show at a photos only talk. Composition covers a lot of ground and some people get overwhelmed by the sheer number of ideas and amount of text. For 365, there are some words at the beginning and end, but in the main it is just a selection of the shots I took. There are over 120 in the version I do for clubs where the session starts at 7:30 and finishes at 10, but I need to prune it for those clubs in the London area which have shorter meetings. The talk is still instructional, but in a more subtle way and being more image based is probably the way I will go for the presentations I am currently writing. Being less cerebral certainly makes them easier to construct.
I tell some anecdotes, such as the time when I shot the autumn colours in infrared because I drove 50 miles only to discover that I had left my conventional camera at home. You also get a mention as there was no way that I was going to let you succeed if I did not complete the project as well. Friendly rivalry with a serious purpose.
Feedback has been positive, with a few people calling the talk inspirational. Overall, I am pleased with the way this talk has been received to date.
